WINTER PARK, Fla – Full Sail University announced plans this week to become the premiere destination for preparing the next generation of sports broadcast talent.
The for-profit school, located in Winter Park, unveiled plans on Monday for a partnership with popular radio and television host Dan Patrick to create the Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting, which is in the process of developing the first bachelor of science degree specifically in sportscasting.
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A former anchor of SportsCenter and current host of "The Dan Patrick Show" and "Football Night in America," Patrick explained to Sports Business Daily that he remembers very clearly the difficulties he had in trying to turn a broadcast degree into a job in sports, and today often hears a number of questions he feels "should have already been answered in college."
Ten to 15 years ago he began playing around with what this program might look like, until finally he decided he had enough to develop a degree to "do something to make it easier" to find a job in on-air media.
When he and his agent, Reed Bregman, reached out to Full Sail, a university known for preparing its students for the world of broadcast and entertainment, it turned out to be fortuitous timing. A degree in sportscasting was one the school was already considering, and according to University President Garry Jones, “When Dan approached us, that really piqued our interest. To have a man of his stature and his reputation giving back — that’s our wheelhouse.”
While administrators are currently hiring faculty, the program has already secured commitments from a number of famous "associate faculty" members. Featured are popular author and founder of The Ringer Bill Simmons, who will provide writing instruction; eight-time Emmy winner and E:60 contributor Jeremy Schapp, who will give talks on reporting and interviewing; and SportsCenter anchor Jay Harris, speaking on the finer points of on-camera work.
Directing the program will be former ESPN producer and talent coach Gus Ramsey. On the decision to have Ramsey lead the program, Patrick told Sports Business Daily, "There’s no better person who can be on the ground every single day teaching these kids what they need to do to get ready for local or national, ESPN, in front of the camera, behind the camera — he was that essential to this program."
Patrick plans to be hands-on at Full Sail, leading classes on campus at least four times a year, hosting webinars and bringing industry members in for lectures.
On his goals for the program, he said that he hopes mainly to build the reputation for the school and eventually have "local stations and networks call Full Sail looking for candidates."
The program will launch on Jan. 29, with classes available online and on-campus. For more information on how the Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting was developed or it's plans for the future, the release from Sports Business Daily here.